Cultivator.



PATENTED SEPT. 12, 1905.

J. G. JOHNSTON.

GULTIVATOR.

APPLICATION FILED 11120.10. 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Witnesses nventor PATENTED SEPT. 12, 1905.

J. G. JOHNSTON.

GULTIVATOR.

APPLICATION FILED 13110.10. 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

M91072, Inventpr Jamwlfaiz %i;ses v w UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CULTIVATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 12, 1905.

Application filed December 10,1904. Serial No. 236,372.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JAMES C. J onxs'rox, a citizen of the United States, residing at Arkansas City, in the countyof Cowley and State of Kansas, have invented a new and useful Cultivator, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to cultivators, and more especially to disk cultivators of that class in which the cultivating-disks are mounted for operation upon a sled or runner frame.

The invention has for its object to simplify and to improve the construction of machines of this class; and with these and other ends in view, which will readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the improved construction and novel arrangement and combination of parts, which will be hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings has been illustrated a simple and preferred form of embodiment of the invention, it being, however, understood that no limitation is necessarily made to the precise structural details therein exhibited, but that changes, alterations, and modifications may be made within the scope of the invention and without departing from the spirit or sacrificing the efficiency of the same.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of acultivator constructed in accordance with the principles of the invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation. Fig. 3 is a sectional detail View taken on the line 3 3 in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 1 4 in Fig. 1.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are indicated by like characters of reference.

The supporting-frame of the improved cultivator includes a pair of runners 1 1, which are provided with vertical slots 2 2, in which are mounted vertically-adjustable spindles or stub-axles 3 3, having annular flanges 4 bearing against the inner sides of the runners and provided with washers and tightening-nuts 5 6, whereby they are secured in position in such a manner as to be capable of vertical adjustment. The stub-axles 3 carry wheels 7, the treads of which are designed to project but slightly below the treads of the runners,

the object of said wheels being simply to relieve the friction upon the runners when the machine is being dragged over the ground. Hence the provision which has been made for the vertical adjustment of the wheels which enables the latter to be set low or high, according to whether the ground that is operated upon is comparatively soft or hard. Near the front ends of the runners are mounted weed-cutting knives or clearers 8, which are about flush with the treads of the runners.

The runners are connected at intervals by arches 9, 10, 11, and 12. The arch 9, which is disposed at the front ends of the runners, and the intermediate arch 11, which supports the seat 13, are each composed of two members 14 15, overlapping each other and each provided with a plurality of perforations for the reception of connecting-bolts 16, thus enabling the arch members to be adjusted so as to regulate the span of the arches and the distance at which the runners shall be spaced apart. The front arch 9 is provided at the ends thereof with perforated brackets 17 for the attachment of the draft-links 18. The seat 13 is connected with the arch 11 by means of a cuff or sleeve 19, embracing the overlapped ends of the arch members and having a set-screw 20, which may be tightened upon said arch members for the purpose of securing the seats in position, thus also assisting in securing the arch members together.

The intermediate arch 10 and the rear arch 12 are each of non-circular cross-section. The arch 10 is provided at the ends thereof with approximately horizontal arms 21, and the arch 12 is likewise provided at the ends thereof with approximately horizontal arms 22, said arms being extended a sufficient distance beyond the outer sides of the runners to enable them to be utilized as supporting means for the earth-engaging disks, as will be presently described. The arms 21 22 of the arches 10 and 12 are non-circular in cross-section and are provided with flanged sleeves 23 and 2 1, said sleeves being in slidable engagementwith said non-circular arms. The sleeves 23 and 24: are exteriorly cylindrical, and bearings 25 and 26, in which said sleeves are rotatably mounted, are connected with the upper edges of the runners, as shown. Collars 27,

having set-screws 28, are mounted upon the arch-arms 21 and 22 adjacent to the sleeves 23 and at for the purpose of securing the latter against lateral displacement upon the archarms. It willbe seen that by loosening the set-screws 28 the sleeves and the collars may be moved laterally upon the respective archarms, thereby enabling the runners to be moved together or apart, as may be desired, it being of course understood that the members composing the arches 9 and 11 will also be separated in order to enable the desired adjustment to be made.

The bearing-sleeve upon one of the arms 21 of the arch 10 is provided with a lever 29, whereby said sleeve and arch may be tilted in its bearings, which are formed by the journal-boxes 25. The adjusting-lever 29 has a conventional spring-actuated catch 30 engaging a rack-segment 31, which is mounted upon the adjacent runner. One of the sleeves 21 of the rear arch 12 is likewise provided with an adjusting-lever 32, having a spring-actuated catch 33 engaging a rack-segment 3 1 upon the adjacent runner, thus enabling the arch 12 to be tilted in its bearings and to be retained at the desired adjustment.

Slidably mounted upon the arms 22 of the arch 12 are cuffs or holders 35, provided with bearings for shafts 36, which are disposed approximately at right angles to the arms 22 and are provided with adjusting-levers 37, having spring-actuated catches 38 engaging rack-segments 39, which are formed or secured upon said cuflis or holders. Pivotally connected with the rear ends of the shafts 36 are shafts 40, upon which earth engaging disks 41 of suitable construction are mounted for rotation. The shafts 40 are provided near their inner ends with collars 42, which are connected by links or connecting-rods &3 with cranks 44 upon the arms 21 of the arch 10.

It will be seen by manipulating the adjusting-levers 37 the shafts 36 will be rocked or oscillated, thus tilting or varying the inclination of the disk-carrying shafts 40, which latter may thus be inclined either upwardly or downward] y in an outward direction from the runners. By manipulating the adjusting-lever 29 the inner ends of the disk-carrying shafts may be moved either in a forward or rearward direction, said shafts swinging upon their pivotal connections with the shafts 36. The earth-engaging disks of each set may thus be placed in advance of one another, and either the inner or the outer disk may be placed foremost, as may be desired. By

manipulating the lever 32 the arch 12 may be tilted so as to elevate the disks from the ground or to set them at any desired depth, as may be required.

The arms 22 of the arch 12 are provided with collars 43, adjustable upon said arms and capable of being secured in position by means of set-screws 4 1. These collars carry arms 45, provided at their rearends with sockets 4:6, in which shanks 47 are secured by means of set-screws 18, said shanks carrying at their lower ends earth-engaging blades or scrapers 4L9, which may be of any desired construction.

These earth-engaging blades may not always be required; but they may be used when desired independently of or in conjunction with thedisks.

The operation of this invention and its advantages will be readily understood from the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings hereto annexed. The construction of the device is simple and inexpensive, and it will be found useful for operating not only upon level soil, but upon hillsides, where proper cultivation is difficult when cultivators of the conventional pattern are used. The disks may be set in such a manner as to throw the earth either in the direction of or away from the plants that are being cultivated, according to existing conditions, and the desired adjustment of the disks or earth-engaging implements may be effected easily and quickly and without stopping the machine. The several arches are made of sufficient height to pass over growing plants without injury thereto.

Shields or fenders, as shown at 50,are connected with the rear ends of the runners, preferably by means of bolts or pivots, which will enable the said fenders to swing upwardly, if necessary. These fenders are for the wellknown purpose of protecting the plants that are being cultivated from injury by clods, stones, or the like being thrown thereagainst by the earth-engaging disks or implements.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. In a cultivator, a frame including a pair of runners having approximately vertical slots formed therein, spindles or stub-axles having flanges engaging the inner sides of the runners, and threaded members extending through the slots therein and provided with clamping-nuts, and rotary supporting means mounted upon the spindles adjacent to the inner sides of the runners.

2. A runner-frame, an arch having arms, sleeves slidably and non-rotatably engaging said arms and journaled upon said runnerframe, earth-engaging implements connected adj ustably with the arch-arms, and means connected with one of the sleeves for tilting the arch.

3. In a cultivator, a runner-frame, an arch having arms journaled upon said frame, holders adjustable upon said arms, an adjustinglever connected with one of the arch-arms and having a catch, a rack-segment engaged by said catch, holders adjustable upon said archarms, rock-shafts adjustable in said holders, disk-carrying shafts connected pivotally with the rock shafts an auxiliary arch having arms journaled upon the frame and provided with cranks at the ends thereof, links connecting said cranks with the disk-carrying shafts, and means for adjusting the crank-arms.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES C. JOHNSTON.

\Vitnesses:

J. M. WARTIGK, U. \V. HU'rcIusoN. 

